CONTEXT

• King Henry VIII was the king of England between 1509 to 1547.
• He was the first English King of Ireland.
• He was the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty.

NEGATIVE SIDE OF KING HENRY VIII AND HIS REIGN

• He was infamous for marrying six times and for having many mistresses.
• He ordered as many as 72,000 executions during his reign, including two of his wives.
• He broke with Rome and created a new religion.

POSITIVE SIDE OF KING HENRY VIII AND HIS REIGN

• Economically England flourished during his reign.
• He was a patron of the arts and humanist learning.
• He fortified Britain and built an impressive navy.

POSITIVE SIDE CONTINUED

• The break with Rome arguably gave Britain a sense of National identity.
• He allowed the bible to be translated into English, he was the first monarch to allow this.
• Due to the Act of Succession, he recognised his two daughters as heirs to the throne.

SOURCES:

• 1. Inside the Tudor Court: Henry VIII and his six wives through the life and writings of the Spanish Ambassador, Eustace Chapuys. By Lauren Mackay.
• 2. www.Wikipedia.com
• 3. Portrait of Henry VIII. By Hans Holbein the younger.

SOURCES CONTINUED

• My first source was a secondary source as it was written years after King Henry VIII reign. It helped me get a better understanding of his reign.
• Wikipedia seemed quite negatively biased.
• The portrait of Henry is a primary source and it shows what he looked like in his later life.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• Initially difficult to find information on the positive side of King Henry VIII and his reign.
• Searched for a long time before finding sources of use.
• Bad person, good king.

The End